An Italian man who spent five days in Spain tested positive for COVID-19, HIV, and monkeypox at the same time, doctors said in a report from the Journal of Infection.
According to the report, the man, who is 36 years old, was visiting Spain in June. Nine days after, the report stated that he began to develop a fever along with a sore throat, fatigue, headache, and other symptoms.
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On July 2, he tested positive for COVID-19, although doctors said that he was vaccinated. Later, doctors said he began to develop a “painful” rash on his arm, eventually developing into small blisters all over his body. He was admitted to the infectious disease unit where he tested positive for monkeypox, according to the report.
The man told doctors that he also contracted HIV after reportedly having unprotected sex during his trip to Spain. He has begun treatment for the disease, the report stated.
Doctors advise that it is uncommon for patients to be co-infected with more than one virus, especially with COVID-19, and monkeypox cases are on the rise, especially in high-risk groups.
Experts said the monkeypox virus and COVID-19 tend to occur simultaneously as they share similar flu-like symptoms.
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